Growltiger
Encyclopedia
"Growltiger's Last Stand" is a poem from T. S. Eliot
's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
, as well as a song from the musical
derived from that book.
Growltiger was a "bravo cat who lived upon a barge", one who scoured the Thames from Gravesend
to Oxford
, terrorizing the inhabitants along the river, including "cottagers", canaries, geese, hens, "pampered Pekinese", and the "bristly Bandicoot
that lurks on foreign ships". Growltiger is usually envisioned as a pirate, although he is never explicitly described as such. He is short an eye and had a "somewhat missing" ear.
"Growltiger's Last Stand" describes how he meets his fate when he least expects it.
Besides the Andrew Lloyd Webber
musical setting in Cats
the English composer Humphrey Searle
composed a musical setting of "Growltiger's Last Stand" as the second of his Two Practical Cats for speaker, flute, cello and guitar.
musical Cats
the poem is used nearly verbatim as the lyrics of the song, except that one stanza has been cut.
The song appears as a reminiscence by Gus the Theatre Cat, who "once played Growltiger – could do it again". In most productions, the actor who plays Gus then becomes Growltiger, while Gus's companion Jellylorum
becomes Growltiger's love interest, Griddlebone
. Growltiger's crew of cats is played by male members of the troupe with pirate accoutrements over their cat costumes.
There have been two different "last duets" for Growltiger and Griddlebone to sing during this scene. In the original London production, they sing a setting of an unpublished T.S. Eliot poem, "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw". This poem is a reminiscence of good times at the "old Bull and Bush" and the crowd at that bar on a "Sattaday night", in particular the barmaid Lily La Rose and the parrot Billy M'Caw. The initial New York production of Cats replaced "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw" with a "pastiche Italian aria" because the aria was "felt to be more of a crowd pleaser". The lyrics for the Italian aria come from the original Italian translation of "Growltiger's Last Stand". Lloyd Webber "much prefers" "Billy M'Caw", and in the 2003 UK touring production, "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw" was re-instated and has subsequently replaced the Italian aria in most productions.
After Growltiger and Griddlebone have finished singing their "last duet", the Siamese cats
, led by Genghis (or Gilbert in the original London show and in T.S. Eliot's poem), "swarm aboard" the barge. Griddlebone escapes in terror and the Siamese make Growltiger walk the plank, ending the song. (In the New York version there was a short sword fight between Genghis and Growltiger before Growltiger's demise). At this point, Gus returns with a short reprise
.
"Growltiger's Last Stand" does not appear in the 1998 filmed version
of the musical – Gus only sings his initial song. This was primarily due to the age of Sir John Mills, who played Gus in the filmed version, as well as time restraints.
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is a collection of whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology, published by Faber and Faber. It is the basis for the record-setting musical Cats....
, as well as a song from the musical
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
derived from that book.
Growltiger was a "bravo cat who lived upon a barge", one who scoured the Thames from Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, terrorizing the inhabitants along the river, including "cottagers", canaries, geese, hens, "pampered Pekinese", and the "bristly Bandicoot
Bandicoot
Bandicoots are a group of about 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the order Peramelemorphia.- Etymology :...
that lurks on foreign ships". Growltiger is usually envisioned as a pirate, although he is never explicitly described as such. He is short an eye and had a "somewhat missing" ear.
"Growltiger's Last Stand" describes how he meets his fate when he least expects it.
Besides the Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
musical setting in Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
the English composer Humphrey Searle
Humphrey Searle
Humphrey Searle was a British composer.-Biography:He was born in Oxford where he was a classics scholar before studying — somewhat hesitantly — with John Ireland at the Royal College of Music in London, after which he went to Vienna on a six month scholarship to become a private pupil of Anton...
composed a musical setting of "Growltiger's Last Stand" as the second of his Two Practical Cats for speaker, flute, cello and guitar.
Cats, the musical
In the Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
musical Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
the poem is used nearly verbatim as the lyrics of the song, except that one stanza has been cut.
The song appears as a reminiscence by Gus the Theatre Cat, who "once played Growltiger – could do it again". In most productions, the actor who plays Gus then becomes Growltiger, while Gus's companion Jellylorum
Jellylorum
Jellylorum is one of the characters from the musical Cats. She is generally a mature female role, principally a vocalist.-Actresses to have played the part:Susan Jane Tanner, Anissa Hartline, Lucy Horton, Lindsey O'Neil, Bonnie Simmons...
becomes Growltiger's love interest, Griddlebone
Griddlebone
Griddlebone is a cat character who appears in T. S. Eliot's collection of poems Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and also the musical Cats during the song of 'Growltigers Last Stand.'...
. Growltiger's crew of cats is played by male members of the troupe with pirate accoutrements over their cat costumes.
There have been two different "last duets" for Growltiger and Griddlebone to sing during this scene. In the original London production, they sing a setting of an unpublished T.S. Eliot poem, "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw". This poem is a reminiscence of good times at the "old Bull and Bush" and the crowd at that bar on a "Sattaday night", in particular the barmaid Lily La Rose and the parrot Billy M'Caw. The initial New York production of Cats replaced "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw" with a "pastiche Italian aria" because the aria was "felt to be more of a crowd pleaser". The lyrics for the Italian aria come from the original Italian translation of "Growltiger's Last Stand". Lloyd Webber "much prefers" "Billy M'Caw", and in the 2003 UK touring production, "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw" was re-instated and has subsequently replaced the Italian aria in most productions.
After Growltiger and Griddlebone have finished singing their "last duet", the Siamese cats
Siamese (cat)
The Siamese is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Oriental cat. The origins of the breed are unknown, but it is believed to be from Thailand. In Thailand, where they are one of several native breeds, they are called Wichian Mat...
, led by Genghis (or Gilbert in the original London show and in T.S. Eliot's poem), "swarm aboard" the barge. Griddlebone escapes in terror and the Siamese make Growltiger walk the plank, ending the song. (In the New York version there was a short sword fight between Genghis and Growltiger before Growltiger's demise). At this point, Gus returns with a short reprise
Reprise
Reprise is a fundamental device in the history of art. In literature, a reprise consists of the rewriting of another work; in music, a reprise is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the...
.
"Growltiger's Last Stand" does not appear in the 1998 filmed version
CATS (film)
Cats is a 1998 direct-to-video film of the long-running West End production of Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. Lloyd Webber himself personally oversaw orchestration for the film and called on Gillian Lynne, the original show's...
of the musical – Gus only sings his initial song. This was primarily due to the age of Sir John Mills, who played Gus in the filmed version, as well as time restraints.